adenine

American  

[ad-n-in, -een, -ahyn] / ˈæd n ɪn, -ˌin, -ˌaɪn /

noun

1. Biochemistry. a purine base, C 5 H 5 N 5 , one of the fundamental components of nucleic acids, as DNA, in which it forms a base pair with thymine, and RNA, in which it pairs with uracil. A

---

adenine British  

/ -ˌnaɪn, -ˌniːn, ˈædənɪn /

noun

1. a purine base present in tissues of all living organisms as a constituent of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA and of certain coenzymes; 6-aminopurine. Formula: C 5 H 5 N 5 ; melting pt: 360–365°C

---

adenine Scientific  

/ ăd′n-ēn′ /

1. A purine base that is a component of DNA and RNA, forming a base pair with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA. Adenine is also part of other biologically important compounds, such as ATP, NAD, and vitamin B-12, and occurs in tea. Chemical formula: C ₅ H ₅ N ₅ .

---

Etymology

Origin of adenine

1880–85; < German Adenin; see aden-, -ine ²

Compare meaning

How does adenine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• adenine vs. adenosine

Example Sentences

Adenine pairs with cytosine and guanine pairs with thymine.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Adenine pairs with thymine and guanine pairs with cytosine.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Adenine always binds with thymine, and cytosine always binds with guanine.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Adenine and thymine are connected by two hydrogen bonds, and cytosine and guanine are connected by three hydrogen bonds.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

DNA is a code, a language with only four letters – A, T, C, G, for the bases Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine and Guanine – and he cleverly exploits this with telling linguistic analogies.

From The Guardian • Mar. 27, 2013